Universal teacher classroom management practices

Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

  • This strategy can help address educational disparities. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
  • Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Program overview

  • Involve comprehensive training for K-12 teachers designed to teach prosocial behaviors in order to reduce or prevent inappropriate or aggressive student behavior
  • Teachers and faculty groups are trained in classroom organization, lesson planning, classroom rules and routines, encouraging student accountability and reinforcing positive behavior
Issue Areas
K-12 education
Target Population
All school-aged children
Cost per Participant
Not available

Evidence and impacts

Proven

Ranked as having the highest level of evidence by the National Institute of Justice

  • Lowered inappropriate and aggressive behavior

Best practices in implementation

  • Design the classroom space to minimize potential distractions, and create clear rules and routines around the use of classroom activities.
  • Removing students from classrooms for bad behavior creates a negative feedback loop, in which the student is rewarded by escaping a task they don’t want to confront. Train teachers to resolve problem behavior before it requires removal.
  • Provide robust teacher training in the classroom management techniques, using concrete real-classroom examples alongside theoretical frameworks.
  • Use repeat teacher evaluations to identify teachers who need additional classroom management training.